Question

The height y of a jumping frog can be modeled by y = -16x^2+ 4x, where x is the time in
seconds) since the frog jumped from the ground. Find the roots of the equation when y = 0
Explain what the roots mean in this situation.

Answer 1

Answer:

• roots: 0, 1/4
• time when the height is zero

Step-by-step explanation:

The roots are the values of x that make y=0.

  0 = -16x^2 +4x = -4x(4x -1)

The values of x that make the factors zero are solutions to this equation:

  x = 0

  x = 1/4 . . . . . makes the factor (4x-1) equal to zero

The roots of the equation are x=0 and x=1/4.

__

Since y is height and x is time, when y=0, the frog is on the ground. The roots, then, are the times when the frog is on the ground.

The smaller root is the time when the frog leapt.

The larger root is the time when the frog landed.